Is it Real? Android Ice Cream Sandwich Video Surfaces

The next stage in Android’s evolving mobile operating system is rumored to ship with the Nexus Prime smartphone sometime next month, but enthusiasts who want a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich can satisfy their hunger today, thanks to a brief glimpse of the upcoming OS. That is, assuming it’s real.

The tasty bite comes courtesy of an eBay shopper who recently purchased a Samsung Nexus S smartphone that (surprise!) ran the unreleased operating system. The shopper captured its interface in a two-minute video.

The video showcases some pretty cool-looking U.I. tweaks that meld the worlds of Gingerbread (the Android version currently running on most smartphones) and Honeycomb (the OS du jour of many Android tablets). For instance, pressing down the Home button launches the same vertical menu for multitasking found in Honeycomb.

There are plenty of other tweaks. Dragging down the top bar reveals a classier notification area with more colorful accents, and the Apps menu includes a Widgets tab for peeking at all installed widgets in a single view. There’s also an eye-catching walkthrough of the new and improved camera application.

There’s no official word on an Ice Cream Sandwich delivery date, but you can check out the alleged video of the OS for yourself below.